Boruto: Reigning Shadows
by Smash Alexandros
Summary: Boruto, Sarada, and Shikadai are tasked with a mission in the Hidden Rain Village after reports of suspicious activities begin to leak. However, the three find themselves in the midst of dangerous enemies who may hold the future of the Shinobi World in their grasp. Alone in hostile territory, can these three Chunin return to their village alive? (Alternate Boruto storyline.)
1. Leaves in the Rain

**Boruto: Reigning Shadows**

* * *

Chapter One

Leaves in the Rain

* * *

All was quiet as three Hidden Leaf Shinobi made their way through the barren wasteland full of scattered, dead trees leading to the lake that surrounded the city of the Hidden Rain Village. The three wore unmarked cloaks over their clothes, with hoods cowling most of their features.

"Boruto, Shikadai" one of them spoke, stopping in her tracks and kneeling down, her glasses concealing her eyes in the darkness as they gazed forward.

The two accompanying her stopped, one whose golden hair could be seen protruding through his cloak's hood peered around the wasteland in front of them. The three had come to a cliff-side, where the Hidden Rain Village was in-sight, but still a good distance away.

"What? There's nothing there," Boruto spoke, his bright-blue eyes twinkling a bit from the moonlight. Beside him, Shikadai, the third person accompanying them, took out a kunai knife from the pouch on his leg.

"Here," the he spoke, bringing the knife up and lightly using it to tug on a thin string that was laid-out before them, invisible to the naked eye if the small amount of light trickling in from above didn't slightly illuminate it when moved. "It's a strong yet thin thread, definitely made with newer technology."

Boruto gulped. "How did you guys see it-?" He looked at the two with slight confusion. Sarada shot a glance over at the boy, who instantly realized when he saw the crimson-red appearance her eyes had taken. "Ah, Sharingan…"

"For me, it was intuition," Shikadai said with a sigh, pulling the kunai away. "It was too easy getting this far, so something annoying was bound to pop-up."

"This means we should be careful from here-on out," Sarada pointed out. She gazed across the thread's length, noting that it went all the way around the cliff-side with seemingly no end. "We'll have to figure out a new approach, if traps are going to be so intricately placed."

"Man, you're so lucky you were made leader of this mission," Boruto commented to the side, poking the ground.

"More like she was the one most trusted by Lord Hokage," Shikadai said with a smirk. This pissed Boruto off, but he ignored the golden-haired boy and looked to Sarada. "Don't worry, I had a plan laid out for this."

The boy stood and turned, dashing away towards the way they came, the other two watching him go.

A few minutes passed, and all Boruto and Sarada could do was wait. They watched the semi-far-away Village suddenly get shrouded in a blanket of rain as a storm overtook it, leaving the surrounding areas with a mere drizzle.

"They wouldn't send us out here without a good reason, right?" Boruto's question was mainly rhetorical, but he wanted something to break the silence.

"I don't doubt Lord Hokage," Sarada responded, "We just need to infiltrate and see if any suspicious activity is brewing."

Boruto checked out the odd structural design of the village and the ominous look of it with the swirling clouds up above. "This place seems sketchy enough."

Behind the two, a draft began to pick up, one that quickly grew more and more powerful until they were forced to stand and brace themselves.

"What the—"

A little ways back from the way the three came, Shikadai was brewing up a sandstorm utilizing new technology developed in the Hidden Sand Village, entrusted to former-denizen (and his mother) Temari. In each hand was a specially crafted hand fan, the material made of scroll-paper with microscopic markings and Chakra Seals within it to strengthen its power. With this as well, came Shikadai's natural ability to manipulate and infuse Chakra with the essence of Wind, creating literally the perfect storm.

" _Wind Style: Twin-Dancing Hurricanes,"_ the boy muttered as he began to spin with growing speed, emitting Chakra from his hands into the fans, which then enhanced them with the built-in Seals and began to kick up the sand and dust around him. Soon enough, Shikadai had managed to create a swirling vortex of wind that carried the sand.

Then, with all his might, Shikadai exerted a large quantity of chakra and sent the sandstorm towards the Hidden Rain Village.

Boruto and Sarada found themselves suddenly taking the full-brunt of a sandstorm, being blown off of the cliff, straight through the trip-wire. Nothing would be heard except the roaring of dust and sand as it flew past.

The two slid down the cliff-side before reaching the ground, Sarada landing elegantly while Boruto sort of tumbled and landed face-first. Shikadai rejoined them quickly, and was greeted by an angry Boruto shaking his fist his way.

"What the hell! Could've warned us, ya know!" Boruto's attitude quickly changed however, as he further stated, "Or let us see your cool move."

"Now's not the time. We can use this storm as a way of diverting the fact that we're setting off their traps and alarms," Sarada said, nodding to Shikadai who nodded back to confirm that she was right.

 _Plus, that'd be embarrassing for anyone to see me use that jutsu,_ Shikadai thought, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Grr… Alright, let's go then." Boruto led the way, rushing out towards the village.

Sarada sighed. "That's my line.." She and Shikadai followed suit.

* * *

Within the Hidden Rain Village, a special Hearing was being done in the center of the village. Not a traditional Hearing with Judge, Jury, and Executioner, but rather, it featured one person who fulfilled all roles, his hulking figure towering above anyone else around.

In front of this person was a woman, cowering in fear, wearing the white vest common of a medical doctor, her legs and wrists bound together.

"You stand guilty of treason, for feeding information to the village's enemies. How do you plead?" The bulky man's voice was deep and thunderous, easily reaching the spectators around without him even trying.

The woman looked up, quivering from fear and chills caused by the heavy downpour. "I… I…"

From the crowd, a man wearing a rebreather and dirty work clothes bust through, running for the woman, screaming and shouting curses towards the man in front of her. The large man turned his head slightly to the oncoming interference and held a hand up to him.

"Lord Kashrin, no-!" The woman tried to plead, but it was for not.

In an a mere moment, red electricity sparked from Kashrin's hand, travelling along the falling rain until it reached the man's throat. It entered his body and jolted him backwards, making him stumble back. The man grasped and scratched violently at his own throat as his veins began to swell, his body contorting before his legs gave way and he fell forward, twitching and kicking for a moment before death grasped him.

"Well?" Kashrin turned his gaze back to the woman, who was even more horrified than before. She then looked around at all of the onlookers, who were mostly industrial workers and other denizens of the village, all trying to avert their eyes, turning their back to her.

"Y-You… all… are cowards! You'll all live in his shadow forever!" The woman's outburst echoed through the industrial complexes around them. "There's nothing that can save this damned village, except deat—"

 _Crack!_ It was over in an instant, as Kashrin sent a jolt of electricity directly into the woman's temple. She fell backwards, her mouth foaming, convulsing for a few moments before ceasing.

"…Guilty," Kashrin muttered. When he had looked up, the crowd was already dispersing, going on about their lives as if nothing had transpired.

"You're too much man," came a voice from behind. Kashrin knew this voice, so he didn't bother to even see who it was, knowing it to be his partner Yorshka who was approaching with a sinister smile, per usual. "We don't just want to rule by fear, right?"

Yorshka was a pale figure in a ragged, white cloak with various purple symbols and lines fleeting across its fabric. Barely visible at his neck was a patch of rotten skin that led beneath his clothing, revealing a sort of secret vileness to the man.

Kashrin was quite the opposite of Yorshka, being a hulking brute-like figure who wore black bindings with similar purple embroidering. The man's face was rugged and weathered, obviously seeing countless struggles in his many years.

"Fear is something that controls the weak," Kashrin replied, "If no-one here is able to rise above it, then they are all weak, and thus must be beneath us."

Yorshka whistled, impressed. "Wow, you're kinda scary, huh?" Yorshka patted the man's arm, chuckling as he felt him flex his muscles as if to warn him. "Boss-man doesn't want things getting _too_ messy, alright?"

Kashrin blinked at the man, then turned towards the sky, where the wind had begun to pick up. The clouds above began to churn more than usual, and the rain was being thrown almost completely sideways as dust and sand overtook the village.

"A sandstorm? In the rainy season?"

"No," Kashrin responded solemnly. "It appears that things will have to get… _messy,_ as you put it."

* * *

Near the large gates leading into the Hidden Rain Village, several Jonin were posted to keep watch, wearing large, circular hats that blocked rain from their view, as well as rebreathers that helped them to manage in the smoggy city.

Visibility had dropped significantly due to the sudden sandstorm blowing in, but that only put them on higher alert. The sounds of the incredible winds were deafening, so the Shinobi relied on their eyes for guidance.

However, this would prove to be of no use, for their opponents already had the advantage of surprise.

A light-blue sphere formed through the low visibility, causing the guards to tense-up. Then, obviously unnaturally, the object was thrown up above them. Two of the guards reacted by throwing shuriken at the object, but the object suddenly vanished. Confused, they looked around to see if it was a distraction—

It wasn't.

Suddenly, the sphere reappeared where it had vanished, exploding into a storm of lightning that illuminated the area and fired bolts around the ground below it. Half of the Shinobi guards were struck and sent away in a plume of smoke, while the others managed to jump out of the way in-time. However, while they were trapped in the motion of dodging, several figures rushed out from the cloud of dust to assault them.

"How'd ya like my signature _Bolt Rasengan!_ " They all said in unison, all clones of Boruto. Two of them managed to deliver strong punches to their guards, but the remaining Rain Shinobi managed to out-maneuver them and take them out with a _poof!_

There were only four remaining now, and they all went back-to-back, beginning to weave hand signs. They then spoke in unison: " _Water-Style: Water-Barrier Jutsu!"_ From their mouths they spat torrents of water that coagulated together and formed a protective dome around them.

"Tch, like that'll work!" Boruto's clones rushed forward with Rasengans swirling in their right hand, while their left began to channel electricity across it. Bringing their hands together, they formed a spiraling ball of electricity and hit the barrier from four separate angles. However, to their surprise, the barrier dispelled their Jutsu and knocked them backwards.

The clones _poofed_ and Boruto and Sarada emerged into view, staring down the four Rain Shinobi.

"Smells like the work of Leaf Shinobi," one of the men growled. He looked at his fellows and nodded a silent idea. The man then ceased his jutsu and slinked back towards the back of it leading to the Village gate. He reached forward to move through the barrier—But his movement stopped. Confused, he looked around with his eyes, trying to find a reason.

That was when Shikadai emerged, stepping in-line with Boruto and Sarada. The three were calm and collected, which made the Rain Shinobi realize something was amiss.

But it was too late. With a few quick movements of Shikadai's arms, the paralyzed Shinobi inside the barrier turned and incapacitated his own colleagues. They fell, and thus, so did the barrier. The last one, eyes wide in shock, gazed down at the shadowy tendril that was attached to one of his legs.

"You're not the only one who gets to show off Boruto," Shikadai commented. "But thanks for the light, I guess."

"Sheesh, everything's a competition…" Sarada shook her head and rushed in, kneeing the man in the stomach and knocking him out. He fell to the ground, the shadow dissipating. She nodded to Boruto. "You two know what to do. I'll be back."

Without anything more, Sarada ran through the gates to the Hidden Rain Village.

"This plan seems a bit risky," Shikadai stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eh.. Sarada's not one to do something she's not sure of," Boruto retorted, putting his hands in the signature sign of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, making several appear around him. "Let's just make this as convincing as possible."

* * *

Not long after the assault on the gate, Kashrin had arrived to the scene. The wind had begun to peater out along with the blinding sand that accompanied it, making it easier to see the condition of the guards.

The hulking figure stood in an alleyway near the gate and examined them. The ten guards stood where they were meant to, a few hidden near the back of the gate, all tensed-up and at the ready.

"Hm…" Kashrin took a step out of hiding, ready to approach the guards—However, there was a sudden explosion near the center of the Hidden Rain. Almost instantly, the man stepped back into the shadows, and vanished from the scene.

Boruto and Shikadai, whom were hiding around the gate, out of sight, let out sighs of relief.

"That was close… That guy looked kinda scary," Boruto muttered.

Shikadai pulled his hands apart, releasing his Multi-Shadow Possession Jutsu. Most of the guards fell over limp, still unconscious. The others _poofed_ , revealing them to be transformed Shadow Clones Boruto had created.

"But that explosion's pretty bad, right?"

Boruto nodded. "We should go and make sure everything's alright." He began to move, but Shikadai stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Nope. We've gotta keep up the act here if anyone comes along. Plus, you don't want to deal with an angry Sarada, right?" He blinked up at Boruto, who shivered.

"…Right."

* * *

Sarada was in disbelief as the stared down at a terrifying sight at the large, traditional-style building before her that usually housed the leaders of the Rain Village, or so she had been told.

There, sitting upon a pile of rotting corpses, was Yorshka. The man yawned from boredom, twirling a kunai around one pointer-finger.

"Man, the storm's already passing. Nobody fun came to play?" He sighed and closed his eyes, raising his face to the sky, the wind gently blowing his silver-hair.

 _So there is something going on here,_ Sarada thought, holding her mouth from the foul stench that was emerging not only from the smog-infested city, but the pile of bodies as well. _I can't stay any longer, this looks dangerous—_

Just as Sarada began to turn, Yorshka sat up and gazed in her direction. She froze. _I'm out of sight, I know it…_

"You have a very pleasant smell," the man called out to her with a chuckle.

Instantly, Sarada was out of there, jumping from her hiding spot and rushing across rooftops, not caring who saw at that point. She had made it pretty far, but visibility was improving as the storm passed, and Sarada knew she was increasingly in danger.

 _Whoosh!_ Something flew past her head. She recognized it as a kunai with an explosive tag. Sarada was forced to jump to the side as the entire building's roof exploded, sending a plume of smoke that was quickly quelled by the downpour.

Now on the streets, Sarada continued her escape, but she quickly found several Rain Shinobi intercepting her. Her eyes glowing red in the darkness, the Uchiha girl expertly ducked under an oncoming punch and struck the assailant in the jaw, knocking him out instantly, then did a short jump forward to knee another in the head, sending him spiraling away.

Two more emerged with katanas brandished, slashing at the girl at the same time. Sarada kicked one of them away and brought her hand up to catch the other.

"SHANNAROOO!" Sarada surprised her attacker with her strength, pulling him forward by his blade and punching him with intense force, enough to send him back into the other sword-wielder, making them fly through a nearby building's wall.

Sarada was breathing heavily from the effort, but something seemed off. She looked down at her hands, which were becoming blurry. With shaky hands, she removed her glasses, but that only made the problem worse.

"It's taking effect, my poison I nurtured from a little bab'," the voice of Yorshka came from behind.

Surprised, Sarada turned and jumped back, almost falling as her body began to tremble. Sure enough, the man was standing right behind her a moment before, smirking wickedly.

"Poison…!" Sarada gasped at pain jolting through her leg and gazed down.

There, a hole was visible in her cloak near her hip. She ripped the lower-half of her cloak away, revealing a leech-like entity attached to her. Her eyes opened wide in terror and she reached down to grasp it, tugging.

"It's no use. Once you're stuck, it'll only come off if I command," Yorshka said, slowly approaching her as she struggled with the creature. "If you wish to live, I require something of you, precious, young shinobi."

Before Sarada knew it, the man was in front of her, grasping her face and forcing her to look at him. She gazed at him with a mix of anger and fear, her Sharingan still showing brightly.

"A kiss, perhaps?" Yorshka licked his lips, then chuckled. "No no no, I'm not such a simple man. Perhaps…" His eyes fell upon her body, and his hand slowly moved down her face, to her neck, then rested at her chest—

" _RASENGAN!"_ Boruto came in from above, a powerful Rasengan swirling in his hand. He brought it down upon Yorshka, who looked up but seemed to not care to move.

As soon as the Jutsu hit his face, Yorshka's body exploded into thousands of the same leech that had stricken Sarada.

"Boruto, look out!" Sarada's shouts were weak and croaky, but she tried anyways, watching as Boruto was suddenly smothered in the leeches.

Luckily, he _poofed_ , revealing he was just a clone. Sarada let out a sigh of relief, but finally couldn't stop herself from falling backwards.

"Don't worry, we're here," came Boruto's voice behind her. Sarada looked up, realizing that he had caught her. He smirked. "Leader."

"B-Boruto…" Her eyes were becoming increasingly blurry. Beside them, Shikadai stepped forward as well. "Shikadai…"

"And you tell us that we're trouble," Shikadai stated. "Don't worry—"

Shikadai and the real Boruto stepped out in front of the girl as Yorshka showed himself once more down the street, facing them. Boruto gave a reassuring thumbs-up back to her.

"We've got this."

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Next Chapter: Rain-Covered Tears**


	2. Rain-Covered Tears

**Chapter Two**

 **Rain-Covered Tears**

* * *

Lightning struck across the sky as the clouds above became more and more violent, as if mimicking the chaos ensuing below.

Down in the streets of the Hidden Rain Village, flashes of light and various explosions and shots of debris being thrown into the air were barely visible in the harsh conditions. There, two Hidden Leaf Shinobi were facing off against the mysterious, vile Yorshka.

 _Thrack!_ The white-cloaked man delivered a strong kick to Boruto's stomach, sending him sliding backwards a ways before stopping.

"Tch, he's creepy _and_ fast?"

"Boruto!" Shikadai's call made the blonde boy look up. Up above, a rain of Yorshka's leeches were hiding on the walls of the buildings and leaped down to him. " _Wind-Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"_ Shikadai produced his hand-fans and delivered a powerful blast of wind towards Boruto before redirecting it upwards, slicing the leeches into pieces.

"Impressive for such young Shinobi," Yorshka stated as he was upon Boruto in an instant, grabbing his throat and bringing his other hand forward, where a leech was slithering out of his sleeve.

Lightning flashed once more up above, and Shikadai was able to capitalize on that moment. Before Yorshka's hand reached Boruto, he froze suddenly. Shikadai stood, mimicking his pose and releasing his hand, making Yorshka release Boruto.

"Thanks, Shikadai!" Boruto jumped back to join his friend.

Yorshka's eyes casted downward to the small shadowy tendril on his left ankle.

"My Shadow Viper Jutsu won't last forever," Shikadai explained quickly to Boruto, "It's just a temporary shadow I can send out and utilize, but it fades quick unless fed by more shadows."

"Well let's light him up then. Like this— _Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"_ Quickly weaving the hand-signs of _Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger,_ Boruto then brought his hand to his mouth, forming a ring with his thumb and pointer-finger, inhaling and then releasing a large blazing fireball out in front of him.

Yorshka, unable to move, simply watched the fireball approach. A smile emerged on his face, one which as unsettling to the two even through the darkness.

 _Whoosh!_ Suddenly, the fireball seemed to swirl and vanish. There, now standing in front of Yorshka, was the hulking figure of Kashrin, his hand held forward with red electricity sparking across it.

"I knew you were coming, but that was close, huh? I didn't take you to be a dramatic person," Yorshka stated with a grin.

Kashrin, not easily amused, or rather never amused at all, eyed the two Shinobi in front of them. "Why are you toying with such young prey? Are you reverting back to your old ways."

"O-Oh, of course not~" Yorshka chuckled, and the shadowy-tendril on his leg dissipated, letting him freely move.

"This is bad," Boruto muttered to Shikadai. "Just that one guy was tough, now there's two—And when the rest of the village's Ninjas get here, we're screwed."

Shikadai peered back at the sight of Sarada, whose leg had been patched up by one of Boruto's clones as best as it could after it managed to remove the leech. He then looked to Boruto, and stated, "There's no way we can win, but these two don't seem willing to spare any lives."

"What are you saying?"

"We're supposed to be undercover, hence why we didn't wear anything relating us to the Hidden Leaf," Shikadai explained, "So… death is obviously our suggested, and best, outcome."

"W-What the hell kind of 'best outcome' is that?!" Boruto pointed at the boy accusingly.

Shikadai shrugged and smirked. "Hey, it's a drag but it's what we signed up for."

"Hmph, I never thought I'd be able to go out in a cool situation like this. Why can't Master Sasuke be here to see this?" Boruto sighed and then nodded to Shikadai. "Til the end, huh?"

"Til the end," Shikadai agreed.

The two stood firm against their two opponents. Yorshka was chuckling at the sight, amused by their calm and collected nature in such a situation.

"I'm going," Kashrin stated simply, before leaping towards the two boys.

Time seemed to slow in that moment of life-or-death. Boruto and Shikadai split off, the former going left and latter going right, in an attempt to confuse their opponent. However, the wide structure of Kashrin's built body made it easy for him to simply bring his arms to his sides to be able to reach them.

" _Death Style: Blood Circuit Jutsu,_ " Kashrin exclaimed as his arms approached the boys. The veins in his arms began to swirl and bubble under his skin as red jolts of electricity arced from them as well.

" _Shadow Clone Jutsu!"_ Boruto quickly formed two Shadow Clones, one to block the hit in front of him, and another who jumped in front of Shikadai.

Kashrin met the two clones, creating a force that was enough to knock Boruto and Shikadai backwards. The clones were frozen, their bodies beginning to morph and be electrocuted violently as red light filled the streets, before poofing. He then followed-up by running forward, swinging wildly with killer intent, his range so wide that Boruto and Shikadai were forced to continue moving backwards until the man finally seemed to stop.

"That was a close o—" Before Boruto could finish, a leech suddenly slammed into his right shoulder. He gasped in pain and looked up, seeing that Yorshka was descending from the sky towards them. "So fast… I couldn't even see it coming!"

"Ehehe… My precious children are invisible to the naked eye until the moment they come into contact with chakra," Yorshka said with a laugh as he kicked out at Boruto and Shikadai, pushing them away from each other further.

"Creepy bastard," Shikadai muttered as he brought his hand-fans out and released a gust of air forward. This was quickly blocked by Kashrin as he jumped in the way and absorbed the force without even budging a muscle. Before Shikadai could react, the large figure of Kashrin pointed a finger directly at his head, red lightning charging. Boruto looked past Yorshka and the hulking back of Kashrin, seeing that Shikadai was cornered.

"Shikadai!" Boruto took a step forward, but Yorshka sent two more leeches into his right leg and arm with two quick movements of his hands, making Boruto stumble and gasp, helpless as he could see Shikadai's determined, yet frightful, face gazing up at the man in front of him.

 _Crash!_ Lightning crackled through the streets, the thunderous boom of which was deafening to everyone there. Where they would have expected a bright red light however, there was a blue flash that emerged blindingly in the dark street, accompanied by a man whose face and lavender-colored eye were illuminated, revealing their identity to Boruto.

"M-Master?!"

Sasuke's right hand was a hellish torrent of electricity as he brought it upon Kashrin's head, hitting the man with a _crack_ and sending him sliding a surprisingly short distance away. The large man never even lost his balance as he turned slowly towards Sasuke, the side of his head steaming from the attack.

"Ohh, a new friend?" Yorshka smirked as he gazed upon the newcomer. "What a familiar scent…"

"Don't get distracted, ya know!" Boruto utilized that moment to form a quick Rasengan in his hand, bringing it forward towards Yorshka. The man moved to the side to dodge it with ease, but Boruto smirked. "What did I tell ya?"

Yorshka suddenly felt his body get taken over once more. Thanks to the light cast by Sasuke's Chidori, shadows were looming around, thus Shikadai had managed to work his Shadow Possession Jutsu to quickly take his movement away.

"Now!" Shikadai made sure to drop the man's arms to his sides to ensure he was immobilized.

Sasuke turned in one clean motion and struck the man's chest, aiming for his heart. " _Chidori!"_ The crackling grew as he channeled more and more chakra into the attack, before eventually he tore straight through the man's chest to the other side.

As Sasuke ceased his Jutsu, all had fallen silent aside from the pattering of the rain on the streets and rooftops above. He pulled his arm back and flicked it to toss some of the blood off of it.

"Gah..!" Yorshka coughed up some blood and fell to his knees, the gaping hole in his chest gushing blood for a moment before it became a gentle flow. The man then smirked, blood gushing out as he spoke, "Ya got some kind of guts to show yourself around here." He eyed Sasuke, who was looking down at him with no emotion. "You're too late anyways."

Sasuke calmly looked past the man, seeing that Boruto was swaying in-and-out, before falling over onto his side, unconscious. Yorshka laughed.

"The poison can't be stopped! Those kids will die and there's nothing you can—"

Before Yorshka could finish, Sasuke had brandished his sword, and sliced his head clean-off. The man's body fell backwards, his head rolling a little ways before stopping, his blood diluted by the downpour coming from above.

"That's a better look for you," Sasuke muttered. He then looked to where Kashrin had been, but the man had seemingly vanished.

"Boruto! What's wrong? Answer me," Shikadai pleaded, struggling but managing to rip the leftover leeches from the boy's body, covering the holes with pieces of his cloak. The wounds were excreting a purplish-substance along with Boruto's blood, which was making him more and more worried.

"You're Shikamaru's son, right?" Sasuke started to walk over to where Sarada was laying, removing his cloak and putting it over her to protect from the rain, before picking her up in his one arm. "Get Boruto and follow me."

He blinked at Sasuke for a moment, before nodding. Struggling a bit, Shikadaianaged to get Boruto's arm around his neck and followed as best he could in the slippery conditions.

Then, there was silence on the streets, as all the blood from the fighting washed away as if nothing had ever happened.

In fact, soon after, even the body of Yorshka mysteriously vanished without a trace…

* * *

Shikadai fell to his knees, dropping Boruto, gasping for air. It had been a short journey, but one that was difficult due to the weather conditions and the fact that they had just been in a fight.

Sasuke had taken them away from the Village to a cave that was carved into the rocky outcrop surrounding the Hidden Rain Village's lake. There, he laid Sarada gently against one wall, then went deeper into the cave.

"H-Hey!" Shikadai stood weakly and looked to Sasuke. "Where are you going? Do you have a way to help them?"

Without answering, Sasuke continued onwards. Shikadai scowled and brought Boruto up to a sitting position against the cave wall near Sarada. He took out medicine from his back pouches and began to work on Boruto's wounds. _The least I can do is sterilize them… Sheesh, what are we supposed to do when our one Ninja with healing abilities is knocked out?_ Shikadai looked over to Sarada, whose wound was patched up, but was soaked in the same kind of purple-blood mixture that Boruto was excreting.

Sasuke returned without making a sound, surprising Shikadai as he knelt between the two unconscious Shinobi. In his hand was a pinkish sphere-shaped object.

"Turn away, don't take deep breaths," he instructed. Shikadai nodded and did so. Sasuke gently peeled the bandage from Sarada's wound on her hip, then turned his head away as he squeezed the ball-object, popping it, causing a pink mist of sorts to emerge and envelope Boruto and Sarada. Shikadai held a hand over his mouth and nose as he turned a bit to watch as the purplish liquid oozing from their wounds began to dissipate, until it had vanished completely. "The poison is gone, but they've lost a lot of blood and need some rest."

"W-What was that..? Or better yet, what's going on?"

Sasuke stood and looked down at Boruto and Sarada, a hint of some sort of emotion flashing across his eyes. "I guess my message didn't reach the village," Sasuke stated, mainly to himself. "I tried to warn them not to send anyone here." He walked over to the cave entrance and sat, peering out into the overcast sky.

As Shikadai worked on patching up Boruto's wounds, he was lost in his thoughts and questions that Sasuke seemingly didn't feel like answering. Once finished, Shikadai slumped back against the wall and rested his eyes for a moment. "How'd you find us anyways?"

For a moment he thought the question would go unanswered again, but Sasuke spoke up after a few moments. "I've been monitoring the village with lightning-infused chakra threads. They travel through the rainfall undetected, but it requires a lot of concentration."

Taking the hint, Shikadai didn't ask another question, reserving himself to his own mind. _Chakra threads huh…_ He recalled the leeches that he had saved Boruto from using his Wind-Style technique. _That must be why those ones were visible, coming into contact with those threads. If it weren't for that, we'd be goners a long time ago.._

Sarada groaned and opened her eyes slowly. She looked around weakly, feeling a bit dazed. "Wha…" She started to move, but stopped quickly when a jolt of pain shot through her body.

"Hey now, take it easy," Shikadai told her, thumbing over to Sasuke at the cave's entrance. "Your Dad saved us, so don't kill yourself and ruin it."

Sarada looked over to Sasuke, surprised. "D-Dad..?" Her feelings mixed with her dazed-mind caused her to tear up, but she wasn't sure if any tears actually emerged, as her face was still soaked in rain-water.

Sasuke turned his head to Sarada slightly, but never looked directly her way.

"I'll explain everything once Boruto wakes up. For now, rest—"

"Once the rain lets up some, we'll have to move out."

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Next Chapter: The Will of Death**


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